Blueberry Cream Cheese Scones

Ridiculously delicious Blueberry Cream Cheese Scones are the perfect combination of rich, buttery, tart, and tangy that's sure to please everyone! With a wonderfully tender crumb texture these addictive scones are hard to resist grabbing whether you're on-the-go or enjoying coffee on the porch!

These Scones Are So Delicious You'll Want Them For Breakfast & More!

Everybody loves a scone, right? It has become a beloved pastry item in America and nearly every bakery and coffee shop carry a variety of this yummy treat! Traditional scones originated in the United Kingdom sometime in the 1500’s and are still very popular in Britain, especially for High Tea in the afternoon.

Scones are similar to what we call a “biscuit” in the US, but the difference is that scones tend to be a bit more dense and cake-like, while biscuits are lighter and flakier. Also, we serve biscuits alongside savory food like sausage and gravy, while scones are a treat all by themselves!

Jump to:

• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• 📖 Variations
• 📖 Recipe Card
• 💬 Reviews

A scone is closer to a pastry than it is to bread mainly because it doesn't include any yeast and has almost identical ingredients to a shortcrust with different fat to flour ratios. Or you could call them a quick bread, like I do, since they rely on baking powder and baking soda for their 'rise'.

This Blueberry Cream Cheese Scone recipe is my all-time favorite! The scones turn out buttery and crisp on the outside, and soft and moist on the inside, thanks to the cream cheese.

They are great for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or packed in the kids’ lunches. And because they are filled with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory blueberries, dare we say they are even kind of healthy?

🥘 Ingredients

With the exceptional of your few fresh items, these scones whip up using pantry staples. Grab some fresh or frozen blueberries and enjoy some tasty scones in no time at all!!

Scone Ingredients

• All-Purpose Flour – The baker's favorite flour for adding bulk to practically any recipe! Gluten-free folks can substitute GF flour. However, you’ll need to add 2 teaspoons extra baking powder and another ¼ teaspoon of xanthan gum to get the texture just right. 
• Baking Powder – Helps keep the dough from being too dense.
• Baking Soda – This will help the scone dough to rise.
• Sugar – You only need a little bit since the blueberries and icing add so much sweetness.
• Salt – World’s best flavor enhancer! It's also perfect from preventing our scones from being overly sweet.
• Cream Cheese – Gives added richness and a moist quality to the scones.
• Butter – Cold butter gives the scones a flakiness, similar to pie crust.
• Buttermilk – Lends a slight tanginess to the scones and also reacts with baking powder to make them incredibly fluffy. See my buttermilk substitutes here.
• Fresh Blueberries – There is no substitute for fresh berries – except frozen berries. They are almost as good as fresh and are great out of season.

Icing Ingredients

• Confectioners' Sugar – Powdered sugar with a bit of cornstarch added to prevent caking.
• Heavy Cream – The high milk fat content adds moisture and richness.
• Vanilla Extract – Real vanilla adds the slightest flavor to the icing.
• Salt (optional) – I find that a pinch helps to balance out the sweetness.

🔪 Instructions

This delicious recipe for Blueberry Cream Cheese Scones, will NEVER turn out dry and tasting of cardboard, which is what you often get at the coffee shop. The cream cheese and buttermilk make sure of that!

Making The Scones

1. Your oven needs to be preheated to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Using parchment paper, line your baking sheet or baking mat.
2. Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl - all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Whisk everything together until well-combined, then cut in the cream cheese and butter.
   ***If you don’t have a pastry blender, a set of knives or a fork will do the job. Just keep cutting in a criss-cross motion until the contents are a crumbled texture – about the size of peas.
3. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk. Stir slightly until barely combined, then fold in fresh (or frozen) blueberries.
4. Turn the dough out onto a floured cutting board or counter and make it into a circular shape that is about 8-9 inches in width. Cut into 8 even triangles, like a pie, and place on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) until the scones are slightly golden, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave the scones on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before icing your scones.

Making The Icing

1. Using a bowl, mix the confectioners' sugar with the vanilla extract, heavy cream, and a pinch of salt.
2. Stir until smooth. You can add more heavy cream if the icing seems too thick, or more confectioners' sugar if it’s too runny, until the icing is your desired consistency to drizzle on the scones.
3. Ice the cooled scones in any drizzle pattern you like. You also just spread the icing over the top of each scone. Be sure the icing has set before serving.

📖 Variations

Don’t be afraid to experiment with other kinds of tart fruit, which really complement the sweetness in the scones. My family loves to add all types of different fruit.

You can try rhubarb, cherries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries! Serve with tea, coffee, or a big glass of milk.

While most scones we think of are of the sweet variety, be sure to venture into some savory scones territory! Give my jalapeno cheddar scones and try and see why they disappear faster than their sweet counterparts!!

📖 Recipe Card